Ratings and Reviews to Become a Ranking Factor

Ratings and Reviews to Become a Ranking Factor

Google’s newest addition to search results pages includes a feature that tells users which results are the “best” based on reviews and ratings. We have known for a long time that businesses receive many customers thanks to positive reviews as well as losing business due to poor reviews but before this point, Google has not signaled reviews as a ranking factor.

With this update, when a user makes a Google search for an inquiry like “the best Italian restaurant in Boston,” Google will understand that quality is essential in this user’s search and therefore will use ratings and reviews that Google has received to give the user the most relevant search results. Google will also incorporate this feature with other synonyms of “best” such as great, awesome, top, etc. Users will be able to filter results based on the average number of stars the business has, allowing them to view the highest-rating businesses all in one place.

This addition to search results will not only help users but also many businesses. Those with outstanding ratings will benefit greatly, putting them above similar businesses that may be well-established but receive lower ratings. This will be something businesses should pay attention to and encourage happy customers to share their thoughts with potential customers who can read their feedback on Google’s rating feature. Small businesses who have consistently benefitted from the positive reviews they’ve received will benefit even more from this latest addition but managing your online presence to keep up with your happy customers can be overwhelming. Visit our services page to see how we can help your business and contact us to start improving your business today!